The Denver Art Museum is a private, non-profit, educational resource for Colorado. The mission of the museum is to enrich the lives of Colorado and Rocky Mountain residents through the acquisition, preservation, and presentation of art works in both the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, and by supporting these works with exemplary educational and scholarly programs.

Since its beginnings in the 1890s as the Denver Artists’ Club, the Denver Art Museum has had a number of temporary homes, from the public library and a downtown mansion to a portion of the Denver City and County Building.

The museum opened its own galleries on 14th Avenue Parkway in 1949, and a center for children’s art activities was added in the early 1950s. In 1971, we opened what’s now known as the North Building. Our most recent expansion, the Frederic C. Hamilton Building, opened in October 2006.

Today, the 356,000-square-foot museum complex includes collection gallery space, three temporary exhibition venues, and the Lewis I. Sharp Auditorium. In addition to our art collections, the Denver Art Museum is internationally recognized for our family-friendly environment, and has received critical acclaim for encouraging art appreciation through interactive activities.